Harry Potter and the Next Steps
by olinozin
Summary: The year following the down fall of voldemort


_a/n: this is my first attempt at writing so i am looking for constructive criticism. i also did all of the writing and editing my self so any help i can get on that is most appreciated._

The sun was just rising above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as a young man by the name of Harry Potter started to wake up. Harry isn't your normal seventeen year old boy, he isn't normal even by wizards standards. He is the savior of the wizarding world. Two days ago Harry destroyed the most powerful dark wizard of all time with a simple disarming spell "Expelliarmus".

Harry had been sleeping for two days since the duel with Tom Riddle also known as Lord Voldemort. Two days since he had collapsed in the headmaster's office after talking with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. He had been levitated to dorm room to his bed which still stood there even after he had been gone for the better part of a year with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

The first thing Harry noticed when he woke up even before opening his eyes was that he was no longer sore meaning somebody had healed all of his wounds while he was sleeping. Second he noticed a very slight smell of flowers, the same flowers that he associated with…

"GINNY!" Harry exclaimed as he began to sit up in bed. Seeing Ginny made Harry think about all of those people that had been lost and how it was all his fault. The list of those lost was extensive including Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, they had left behind their son who was only a few months old Teddy, Harry vowed then and there to make sure that he grew up surrounded by love and knowing that his parents had died so that he could grow up with freedom and peace. Colin Creevey while underage had snuck back into the castle and had died fighting for what he believed in him and so many others.

"Harry your awake!"Said Ginny noticing that he was sitting up she launched out of her chair by his bed and straight into his arms, before realizing the pain that was clearly shown on his face. As she leaned back to look at him she felt great despair begin to build in her all of the sudden she clearly knew what was wrong with Harry as if all of his emotions were now hers. "Harry do not think for one second that those things that what happened is your fault everyone fought because they wanted the war to end so they could live in peace we all fought with you not for you! If anyone is at fault it is Tom and his sick followers!" She stated in a low voice.

"Gin how did you know what I was thinking just then?" Harry asked in an equally low voice.

"I don't know I just did"

"Oh Ginny I am so sorry for everything….." Harry began before Ginny started screaming.

"Harry James Potter don't you ever scare me like that again! I thought you were dead and the next thing I know your dueling with Voldemort, and then you disappear without saying a word! I was so scared I didn't know what happened to…" She didn't finish as Harry had suddenly kissed her.

"I love you Ginny Weasley and I am so sorry for leaving you last year and if you give me the chance I will never do it again." Harry said. Ginny just sat there and looked at him for a full minute before she responded and all she did was kiss him and then cuddle into bed with him. I love you too and you better not ever leave me again! I was so scared you had died I just wanted to die so I could join you.

"I missed you so much, I thought about you every day when I was gone. That is what helped me survive all of that time. At nights when I was on watch I would stare at your dot on the Marauders Map just to make sure you was okay and that nothing had happened to you. I would sit there and talk to you saying things like "I miss you" and "I hope you are safe". I'm so glad you are safe I don't know what I would of done if anything had happened to you."

"So you were actually talking to me at night?" "I'm not going crazy then?" she asked a little uncertainly.

"What are you talking about Gin? What do you mean I was actually talking? I was hundreds of miles away at that point."

I know but there where nights where I thought I heard you. Like maybe you had snuck into the castle with your cloak and were in my room but when I looked you were never there and I couldn't understand it. I thought maybe I was going crazy.

I think we need to go talk to Professor Dumbledore painting about this and if you want I want to tell you everything that has happened this last you up to this point but I only want to tell it once so well have to get McGonagall and Kingsley, along with your brothers and Hermione minus Percy I just don't think I trust him enough yet sorry and we need to gather all of the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix. So I can tell everyone that needs to know in one sitting because it is really hard. Said Harry

I understand so let's get everyone then because I would really like to hear this story but before we go I want to hear your reasons for not taking me with you last year and just so you know nobody believed me that we had broken up and that I didn't know where you were last year. Responded Ginny as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Well for starters you still had the trace on you so you would have been traceable any where we went also I have difficulty paying attention to everyday things when your around how would I have been able to duel death eaters then? Also like I said before I really wanted to make sure that you were safe I would be lost if anything happened to you. stated Harry.

By the way where are Ron and Hermione? Asked Harry just then noticing that both of his best friends were missing.

They were with Mum and Dad last I knew but I haven't seen either of them in about an hour.

Okay then we'll go find them with everyone else now if you will give me ten minutes I haven't had a shower in a few days so I will be back.

"Care for some company?"asked Ginny innocently

"Yea so your brothers can skin me alive you little minx?" responded Harry

With that he was off to the loo, while he was showering he looked over his collection of scars from the past year including the fist shaped one from the locket and the new lighting bolt shaped scar from the "Avada Kedavra" Killing Curse that Riddle had hit him with and Harry had survived for a second time. It truly amazed him how much he had survived to get to this point. True to his word he was back in ten minutes showered and changed "Kreacher?" Harry called out uncertainly. He was even a little surprised when the elf appeared with a crack.

"Yes, Master Harry Potter?" "How can Kreacher be of service? The said all of this while bowing so low that is nose was touching the carpet. At the sight of him Harry had to fight hard to think of Dobby who died in order to save Harry and his friends from Malfoy Manor.

"Well first Kreacher I want to thank you for the bravery you showed during the battle, and second I wanted to ask you a favor." Stated Harry a little shyly

"Oh thank you master Kreacher is not deserving of your thanks it is what any good elf would do for their master, Kreacher will gladly do anything his master asked.

"Kreacher I need you to deliver a message to a few people for me. I need Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, Minister Shacklebolt and the rest of the surviving Order of the Phoenix. Tell all of them too meet me in the headmaster's office because I need to talk to them and it is really important." Asked Harry.

"Yes Master" croaked Kreacher never looking up from his bow he disappeared with a crack.

And now we…. was all Harry got out before Kreacher reappeared with another crack.

"All of the people that master requested were already meeting in the Headmistresses office" Said Kreacher

"Okay thanks Kreacher you can go now it's your choice if you go to the Burrow, Grimmauld Place or, here in the kitchens and I will call you if I need anything okay?" asked Harry

"Yes Master" Kreacher stated as he disappeared

Harry? Was that actually Kreacher? What happened to him?

All in good time love. Now let's go meet the others, and with that they left the dormitory and headed to Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry and Ginny walked thru the castle in relative silence sporadically coming a crossed random burn marks, broken statues and destroyed painting on their way to the headmistress's office. When they finally arrived Harry noticed that the gargoyle that guards the entrance had been repaired. It took the couple five minutes of guessing to get the correct password "Lemon Drops".

At least Professor McGonagall picked a good password. Remarked Harry rather dryly.

As they ascended the spiral stairs outside the heads office the first voice they was Mrs. Weasley and she did not sound happy,

"He's just a child you can't ask this of him! Hasn't he done enough yet! she yelled!

"I agree with you Molly, but right now we are in an unstable situation and need all of the help we can get so I say we just wait until he wakes up and ask him what he would like to do for himself" came the calming tones of Kingsley. Just as Harry reached up to knock it swung open and he was almost knocked over by a teary eyed Mrs. Weasley. "Oh Harry so sorry dear I didn't know you was there. When did you wake up?

"About an hour ago I was talking a few things over with Ginny" answered Harry

Harry and Ginny walked into the office hand and hand, as Harry looked around into the faces of all present. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley looked tired but really happy at the young couple, Mr. Weasley looked at them with a little bit of confusion and shock, Bill and Charlie looked a little miffed but not really that upset, George looked absolutely devastated but Harry was sure that it had nothing to do with himself and Ginny. Ron on the other hand was glaring daggers at Harry, like he was going to hex him into oblivion at any moment.

And what might I ask is that look for Ronald? Asked Ginny in a dangerous voice.

Harry you promised you wouldn't lead her on you would leave her alone and let her get on with her live! Yelled Ron at the top of his voice.

Before Harry could even say a word Ginny screamed and yelled at Ron. "It is none of your business if Harry and I date or not Ronald! He left me because he had to in order to fight Riddle and now that he is done with that and we can be together we are going to and you need to get over that!" Ron was also get yelled at by Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and half of his brothers as to how much of a prat he was being, and the ones that weren't yelling at him were glaring daggers in his direction.

"Ok, Ok, I'm sorry I just don't want to see my only little sister get hurt!" defended Ron

"Son do you really think after everything Harry risked to be with her that he would turn around and hurt her like that?" asked Mr. Weasley calmly. Ron just shook his head and started and the ground.

"Mate, I love your sister and I would never do anything to hurt her again." "Okay so now what was all of that yelling about on our way up here?" asked Harry looking around the room.

The first to answer was Kingsley, "Well Harry as you know right after the battle I was named interim Minister of Magic, and this morning I got word from the Wizengamot that I will be the official new Minister of Magic. I get the job of trying to rebuild the ministry and I want to ask for your help."

Harry stared at him for a full minute before speaking "I would love to help you minister but, I would also like a chance to have a normal seventh year of school now that this is all over, that is if the school will allow me to come back this year."

Now it was McGonagall's turn to speak, "Of course we would like you to come back this coming school year Mr. Potter, that is if we can get the castle repaired enough to open in September." "Will you be joining him Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course!" shouted Hermione immediately.

"I'm not so sure about what I want to do." Ron stated almost half-heartily.

"Of course you are coming back to finish your NEWTs Ron." stated Mrs. Weasley as if that closed the subject.

"Okay now that, that is settled for the time being we have other issues to attend to like

what these three were up to last year" Kingsley said as he pointed out Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Also we have the memorial service to plan for tomorrow night"

Harry looked around the room into the faces of all those present and thought of all of those that should have been there with them. As he thought that Ginny reached over and held his hand in both of hers as if she could sense his pain. Harry also looked up at the portrait of Dumbledore. When their eyes met the old headmaster just nodded and said "Tell them everything Harry if anyone has a right to know it is the people in this room. Also make sure you explain Professor Snape's roll in everything so that he can get the recognition he deserves and his portrait can be hung here with his fellows."

At this every head in the room swung to look at the portrait behind the desk.

McGonagall was the first to recover and ask the question that was on every mind "Albus what do you mean the recognition he deserves he killed you in cold blood?"

Not quite professor but I will explain that when I get to that point in this tail. Everyone should make themselves comfortable because once I start I don't want to stop and this is a long story. stated Harry matter of factly.

"Kreacher!" Harry called.

"Yes Master, has you called Kreacher?" the elf asked in his ever present bow.

"Yes, could you please bring us some sandwiches and drinks because I'm starving and were going to be here for a while." asked Harry politely.

"Yes master." And with that he disappeared with a sharp crack.

Within five minutes he was back again with a wide assortment of sandwiches and butterbeer. Once everyone had gotten food and drink and was seated in a comfortable place Harry stood to begin.

"I guess we should start with what happened at the end of fifth year and the prophecy?"

"We thought the prophecy was destroyed Harry" said Ginny gesturing to everyone one in the room.

"It was but Professor Dumbledore has a copy, as he was the one it was made to in the first place. It stated:

"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES….BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE THE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT…AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NIETHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIES…THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…." (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix page 841).

"That means that it had to be me he marked me with this scar at the age of one, and the power that the dark lord knows not is my ability to love." Stated Harry taking a hold of Ginny's hand. "You see Riddle's soul was so twisted that he couldn't love. Being around love physically hurt him, but well get into that more later." Harry continued.

"Then we got into my sixth year and I started my private lessons with Professor Dumbledore. It started off with him showing me memory's of a young Tom Riddle which was interesting, to get a perspective of your enemy to better understand them. Then he showed me something really interesting, who here knows what a Horcrux is? At this everyone either looked confused or terrified except Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Judging from those expressions I'm guessing only a few of you. Ok so let me explain a Horcrux in an object in which a dark witch or wizard would store part of their soul making them immortal" Harry explained, now everyone looked frightened.

"Are you telling me that Voldemort made a Horcrux?" Asked Kingsley

"Not a Horcrux but six, he split his soul into seven pieces to push immortality farther than any wizard ever has. The first one I destroyed in my second year without realizing what it was when Ron and I rescued Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets.

You mean that diary right Harry? Ginny asked looking slightly scared.

He just nodded and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Then there was his grandfather's ring that Professor Dumbledore destroyed found and destroyed last year. This is the reason his hand was all black and dead looking last year. Professor Snape was barely able to contain the curse in time before it spread to the rest of his body. We went after one on the night he died as well but someone had beaten us to the punch and it was a fake."

There were looks of utter disbelieve shared around the room at this. "How do you know it was a fake Mr. Potter? Asked Professor McGonagall looked utterly terrified at just the tale so far and they were still on sixth year.

"After the professor died we found the locked that Kreacher now wears and we found this note." Harry said as he pulled the note from Regulus Black to Voldemort.

Then Harry started telling them all of the things that had happened during the last year with Ron and Hermione adding details every now and then. He told them of running from the wedding and going to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Of staking out the ministry after getting info on the real locked from Dung. The break in and escape from the ministry. How Yaxley grabbed Hermione and got taken back to Grimmauld Place, and how after that they could no longer use it as there hideout so they went on the run in the tent moving every day or two. Of how they sometimes went days without food except the little bits they could find in the nature around them. He told them of how it finally became too much for Ron and how he left. (Ron's ears turned a famous Weasley red at this point.) He told them of Christmas in Godric's Hollow, being attacked by Nagini and Voldemort. Of Ron's return and destroying the locket, and discovering the Deathly Hollows. Going to the Lovegood's and finding out about Luna being captured, and of Mr. Lovegood trying to get his daughter back by turning in the trio. About being captured being taken to Malfoy Manor, of tricking Pettigrew and rescuing Hermione, and escaping to Shell Cottage with Dean, Luna, Mr. Ollivander, and Griphook with the assistance of Dobby.

Harry chocked up at this point, so Ron took over the tail. Telling of the death of Dobby at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange, and helping Harry dig a grave and laying to rest their brave friend. He told of planning the break in at Gringotts, stealing Huffelpuffs Cup, and escaping on the back of the blind dragon. Then we came to Hogwarts after Harry saw in Voldemort's mind the location of the last Horcrux.

Harry then picked up the tale telling of arriving at Hogwarts and the search for the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. He told of finding it in the Room of Requirement, and being ambushed by Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Of Crabbe unleashing the fiendfyre and barley escaping and having the diadem destroyed as well as Crabbe dying from his own spell because we couldn't get to him in time. So that's five horcurx's down and only one to go his snake Nagini so we went to the Shrieking Shack to try and kill it. We didn't get that lucky but we did see the murder of Severus Snape at the hand of Lord Voldemort to try and gain mastership over the Elder Wand. Which Tom had stolen from the tomb of Dumbledore and has had trouble controlling. When Snape was about to die he gave me his memory's on his death bed.

"I would like to show all of his memories so you so that you understand the situation a little bit better. May I Professor?"Asked Harry in a controlled voice.

"Anything Harry I'm sure you know where it is stored?" Asked McGonagall "Yes Professor." Stated Harry.

With that everyone gathered around as Harry brought the memories up in the pensieve and they all simultaneously bowed in to watch the memories. After they returned Harry looked around and surveyed the expressions on the faces of those gathered around him. The majority were looks of shock and confusion at what they had just seen. "You see Snape's loyalty came from his undying love of my mother, his loyalties changed the minute Riddle started to hunt her. So as you can see he is actually innocent and deserves his place in this office. Said Harry matter-of-factly sounding oddly like Hermione.

"I will speak on his behalf to the Wizengamot, but at the moment I can't make any promises." Stated Kingsley in a shocked voice.

"There is one memory that I left out of there and that was the one where Dumbledore told Snape that Voldemort had accidently created a seventh Horcrux hence splitting his soul into eight pieces instead of the seven he intended."

"What was the seventh Horcrux Harry?" asked Ginny with a slight knowing tremble in her voice.

"Me."

Everyone started to talk at once trying to figure out how this was even possible. After everyone had stopped talking Harry went on to tell the tale of walking into the forest. He told of taking the second killing curse at this he also lifted his shirt to show everyone the second lightning bolt scar that was over his heart. Then he told them of his death and meeting Dumbledore at Kings Cross Station. About how it was his mother's love saved him for a second time, and how it was his love for all of them that protected them from Voldemort. That's why none of his spells could stick, why he couldn't torture Neville or hurt anyone else. Then Neville pulled the sword out of the sorting hat and beheaded Nagini, and Riddle was once again mortal he could be killed. You all know how that ended.

"Why did you pretend to be dead though?" Asked Ginny with a slight tremble "I was so scared that you was gone and I never got to say goodbye. I wanted to attack him and kill him for what he did to you, and I would of if it hadn't been for this lot." She said pointing to each of her brothers in turn all of which had their eyes downcast towards the ground.

"I had to so that I could get back to the castle, if he had figured out I was still alive in the forest I would of really died. I was out number at least fifty to one, so I did what I need to do in order to survive." answered Harry. "Now about this memorial!"

_a/n Reminder: This is JKR's yard im just here to play. I wanted Harry and Ginny to get back together right away so that was the first thing i took care of._


End file.
